September 2009 Downtown Dimension Highlights

It's that time again, the latest issue of Downtown Dimension has arrived and here are the cliff notes:

• 360 Residences is now open! The sales office has been moved from the Fairmont Annex to the 5th floor of the 360 Residences building, freeing up a key retail space in the process. Owners will start moving in towards the end of the year.
• High-rise condo sales updates:
• Axis: ~25% occupied (~80 units), sounds like they are selling about 4 homes a month.
• The 88: selling an average of 4 condos per week
• City Heights: over 50% occupied (over 62 units sold)
• There will be a San Jose Open House from Sep. 26-27 where all 4 condo high-rises will be open and offer refreshments from downtown restaurants and pedicab rides between each tower.
• 3 Downtown buildings are receiving Facade improvements:
• Anaconda Building
• 150 year old building at the entrance of San Pedro Square.
• Ground floor anchored by Starbucks and La Victoria, which is finishing its expansion.
• U Food Grill, featuring healthy dishes, will be moving into the remaining ground floor space.
• Hackett building
• Currently houses Pizza Chicago which will get new outdoor seating after the remodel.
• Looking for a new tenant adjacent to Pizza Chicago.
• Bo Town Restaurant
• Getting a new roof, tiles, doors, lighting, and landscaping.
• Decision to lower building heights by 2 floors on new development to accommodate airport complaints, has been postponed (hopefully indefinitely). Developers and urban advocates continue to push for taller buildings while SJC is fighting for the opposite.
• First Street Improvements continue! Beautification projects between Santa Clara <> San Fernando and San Carlos <> Reed (SoFA) have been completed over the past couple of months. Later this year, Groundworks will "Beautify" the section of First Street that connects these 2 corridors... making one contiguous, walkable district between Santa Clara St. and SoFA.
• Eleven new on-street parking spaces have been added in various Downtown San Jose locations.
• The Center for the Performing Arts is getting a new 5,000 sqft lounge with a bar and seating for 350 people.
• ZeroOne received almost $1 million for their next event (Sep. 15-19, 2010), check out 01sj.org for more information.